A cooking appliance capable of automatically feeding and draining water

Abstract

The application discloses a cooking utensil capable of automatically feeding and draining water, which comprises an inner pot, a pot body, a water tank and a pot cover. The water tank supplies cooking water to the inner pot through a water feeding channel. A drain valve assembly is arranged in the middle of the bottom wall of the inner pot. The drain valve assembly comprises a valve cavity and a movable sealing ball arranged in the valve cavity. A limiting part and a sealing part are arranged in the valve cavity. The limiting part and the sealing part are arranged in an integrated manner or in a split manner. The bottom of the valve cavity is provided with a drain port. The sealing part cooperates with the sealing ball to block the drain port. The limiting part is arranged around the outer surface of the sealing ball. In the height direction, the limiting part is located at the height of 0.5 times the radius of the sealing ball to 1 times the radius of the sealing ball, so that the sealing ball is in close contact with the sealing part in the state that the inner pot is inclined by less than or equal to 60°. The limiting part can give the sealing ball appropriate support force, so that the sealing ball is kept at the drain port, the sealing ball is in close contact with the sealing part, and the problem that the existing ball valve scheme is complex and difficult to clean is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, and more specifically, to a cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and drainage. Background Technology

[0002] There is a type of cooking appliance that can drain water. It has a drain valve at the bottom of the inner pot, with a sealing element inside the valve blocking the drain outlet. When the sealing element is released, liquid inside the inner pot can drain out through the drain valve. The sealing element has a spherical structure, which is characterized by good sealing effect, smooth movement, and easy cleaning, making it more suitable for cooking appliances. However, the inner pot of this type of appliance is usually removed for pouring food or other shaking actions. In some scenarios, such as when cooking soups or porridge, the user often needs to remove the inner pot. If the inner pot is tilted, the sealing element can easily detach from the drain outlet, causing the drain valve to open accidentally without the user's knowledge. This can lead to accidental liquid leakage, which may contaminate the surrounding environment or cause burns due to high temperatures, posing a safety hazard.

[0003] Chinese patent CN202322472316.8 proposes a solution that places a spring inside the valve body, with the upper end of the spring abutting against the filter cover and the lower end against a steel ball. The spring forms a reset mechanism for the steel ball, and its elastic force pushes the steel ball against the liquid outlet to seal it. In this way, the steel ball will not detach from the liquid outlet when the inner pot is tilted. However, this valve structure is complex and more difficult to clean.

[0004] Chinese patent CN201621389604.0, for example, places a sealing element at the discharge hole of the cleaning chamber, while a ball valve is positioned above the discharge hole. The ball valve abuts against the inner circumference of the sealing element to achieve a seal between the ball valve and the cleaning chamber. The ball valve presses against the corresponding contact surface of the sealing element to form a sealing fit. Its main consideration is to prevent the material and liquid inside the cleaning chamber from leaking out during cleaning. This patent targets the sealing of the rice washing box cavity of an automatic rice cooker, therefore it does not need to consider the problem of the discharge hole opening due to tilting after removing the rice washing box. It does not address the issue of the discharge hole opening during tilting through the cooperation of the sealing element and the ball valve. Generally speaking, although there is a certain degree of friction between the sealing element and the ball valve, the existing ball valve and sealing element cooperation scheme cannot solve the problem of the liquid outlet opening when the inner pot of the cooking appliance is tilted without the user's knowledge. Therefore, based on the existing solutions, there is an urgent need for a solution for the drain valve at the bottom of the inner pot of the cooking appliance that ensures the ball valve does not open when the user removes the inner pot and does not expect the liquid to be poured out, and that is easy to clean. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an automatic water inlet and outlet cooking appliance. It employs a limiting part and a sealing part in cooperation. The sealing part cooperates with a sealing ball to block the drain outlet, while the limiting part surrounds the outer surface of the sealing ball and is positioned at 0.5 to 1 times the radius of the sealing ball in the height direction. This ensures that the sealing ball remains in close contact with the sealing part even when the inner pot is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 60°. This drain valve assembly with a sealing ball has a simple structure and solves the problem of accidental liquid leakage caused by the ball valve opening unexpectedly in cooking appliances using ball valves, while existing ball valve solutions are complex and difficult to clean. In addition, the background art and embodiments described herein also record some technical solutions that belong to the subject matter of this utility model but can independently solve other technical problems.

[0006] The embodiments of this application are implemented as follows:

[0007] This utility model provides an automatic water inlet and outlet cooking appliance, including an inner pot, a pot body, a water tank, and a lid. The water tank supplies cooking water to the inner pot through a water inlet channel. A drain valve assembly is provided in the middle of the bottom wall of the inner pot. The drain valve assembly includes a valve cavity and a movable sealing ball located in the valve cavity. A limiting part and a sealing part are provided in the valve cavity. The limiting part and the sealing part are integrally set or separately set. A drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the valve cavity. The sealing part cooperates with the sealing ball to block the drain outlet. The limiting part is set around the outer surface of the sealing ball. In the height direction, the limiting part is located at 0.5 times the radius height to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball, so that the sealing ball and the sealing part fit and seal when the inner pot is tilted less than or equal to 60°.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, a first sealing ring is provided inside the valve cavity, and both the limiting part and the sealing part are disposed on the first sealing ring, with the limiting part located above the sealing part.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, a second sealing ring is provided inside the valve cavity, and the inner surface of the second sealing ring is provided with a sealing surface adapted to the sealing ball, the sealing surface constituting the limiting part and the sealing part.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, in the height direction, the limiting part is located at 0.5 to 0.9 times the radius height of the sealing ball, so that the sealing ball and the sealing part fit and seal when the inner pot is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 60°.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, a transition portion is connected between the limiting portion and the inner wall of the valve cavity, and the sealing ball rests against the transition portion when the sealing ball does not block the drain outlet.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the transition portion is inclined.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the drain valve assembly further includes a valve assembly and a downwardly extending metal channel. The valve assembly is detachably fixed within the metal channel from the inner pot. A filter screen cover is also provided above the valve cavity. A limiting bracket for limiting the sealing ball is provided below the filter screen cover. A first bottom hole is provided at the lower end of the limiting bracket, and a second bottom hole is provided at the lower end of the metal channel. The first bottom hole and the second bottom hole are connected. The drain outlet is formed in the first bottom hole, and the valve cavity is formed within the limiting bracket; or, the drain outlet is formed in the second bottom hole, and the valve cavity is formed within the metal channel.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the filter cover is detachably connected to the limiting frame, and the filter cover is also connected to a metal cable, the lower end of which is connected to the sealing ball.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the filter cover is flush with or below the bottom of the inner pot in the height direction.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the inner pot is provided with a mating hole, the metal channel is provided in the mounting component, and the mounting component is fixedly connected to the position of the mating hole.

[0017] The advantages of this application compared to the prior art are:

[0018] This application solves the problem of existing drain valves, which are complex in structure and difficult to clean, preventing the sealing ball from falling off when tilted. This application solves the problem by setting a limiting part and a sealing part. The limiting part surrounds the outer surface of the sealing ball and is positioned at 0.5 to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball in the height direction. This ensures that when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 60°, the limiting part can provide appropriate support to the sealing ball, keeping it at the drain outlet and ensuring a tight seal between the sealing ball and the sealing part. This achieves a simpler and easier-to-clean ball valve solution, thus solving the problem of accidental liquid leakage caused by the ball valve opening unexpectedly in cooking appliances using ball valves, and addressing the issue of complex and difficult-to-clean existing ball valve solutions. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the inner pot and drain valve assembly in one embodiment of this application (with the valve closed);

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the inner pot 1 tilted at 60°;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the equivalent circle of the sealing sphere 502;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the inner pot and drain valve assembly in another embodiment of this application (with the valve closed);

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 1-Inner pot; 101-Matching hole;

[0029] 2-Pot body;

[0030] 3-Water tank; 301-Water inlet channel;

[0031] 4-Pot lid;

[0032] 5-Drain valve assembly; 501-Valve cavity; 5011-Drain outlet; 502-Sealing ball; 502a-Second straight line; 502b-Fourth straight line; 503-Limiting part; 503a-First straight line; 503b-Third straight line; 5031-Transition part; 504-First sealing ring; 5041-Sealing lip; 505-Second sealing ring; 5051-Sealing surface; 506-Valve assembly; 5061-Filter screen cover; 5062-Limiting bracket; 50621-First bottom hole; 5063-Metal cable; 507-Metal channel; 5071-Second bottom hole; 6-Mounting component; Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0035] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "implementation," "example," "a particular embodiment," "example," or "specific example" indicate that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. The technical solutions of this application will now be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] An existing cooking appliance features an automatic drainage system. It utilizes a drain valve assembly protruding from the bottom of the inner pot. When drainage is needed, a drive mechanism moves the valve core of the drain valve assembly, opening the drain outlet and allowing liquid in the inner pot to drain out. When the valve core of the drain valve assembly is a spherical valve core, it effectively seals the drain outlet, and the spherical valve core has fewer surface crevices, making it easy to clean. Ball valves typically open by having the spherical structure of the valve core roll away from the drain outlet. However, this structure can easily cause the valve core to detach from the drain outlet unknowingly when the inner pot is tilted at a certain angle after removal, leading to accidental leakage of liquid from the inner pot. To address this problem, one existing technology incorporates a spring within the drain valve assembly to press against the spherical valve core. This spring structure effectively ensures that the spherical valve core does not detach from the drain outlet when the drive mechanism is not activated. However, the spring structure solution has some problems: it makes the drain valve assembly structure more complex, more prone to damage, and less reliable; in addition, the spring structure is difficult to clean, and the possibility of the spring rusting must be taken into account. Using better metals increases the cost of the drain valve assembly.

[0039] To address the issue of accidental liquid leakage caused by the valve core detaching from the drain outlet without the user's knowledge in the aforementioned ball valve structure, this invention provides an automatic inlet and outlet drain cooking appliance, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the appliance includes an inner pot 1, a pot body 2, a water tank 3, and a lid 4. The water tank 3 supplies cooking water to the inner pot 1 through a water inlet channel 301. A drain valve assembly 5 is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the inner pot 1. Water is introduced into the inner pot 1 through the water tank 3 and the water inlet channel, while the drain valve assembly 5 drains the liquid from the inner pot 1. This creates a cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet, enabling more cooking functions and powerful performance. Furthermore, as... Figure 2 As shown, the drain valve assembly 5 includes a valve cavity 501 and a movable sealing ball 502 located within the valve cavity 501. The valve cavity 501 is provided with a limiting part 503 and a sealing part, which may be integrally formed or separately formed. A drain outlet 5011 is provided at the bottom of the valve cavity 501. The sealing part cooperates with the sealing ball 502 to seal the drain outlet 5011. The limiting part 503 is arranged around the outer surface of the sealing ball 502. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2The enlarged view at point A shows that, in the height direction, the limiting part 503 is located at 0.07 to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502, ensuring that the sealing ball 502 fits snugly against the sealing part when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 20°. This specification uses R to represent the radius of the sealing ball 502. It can be understood that the sealing ball 502 only needs to be a spherical valve core in its main body, not necessarily a uniformly spherical valve core; that is, it only needs to satisfy the shape of sealing the drain outlet 5011. Its shape can be modified to adapt to other requirements. Its radius R is the radius of the main body shape of the sealing ball 502. Those skilled in the art will understand this part regarding the design of the sealing ball 502, and it will not be elaborated upon here. Further explanation follows:

[0040] It is understandable that when the line connecting the geometric center of the inner pot 1 to the center of its bottom wall is parallel to the height direction, the inner pot 1 is in an upright state; when the line connecting the geometric center of the inner pot 1 to the center of its bottom wall forms an angle with the height direction, the inner pot 1 tilts. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the inner pot 1 is in an upright position at this time. The straight line determined by the highest point of the limiting part 503 and the horizontal direction is the first straight line 503a, and the straight line determined by the lowest point of the sealing ball 502 and the horizontal direction is the second straight line 502a. The aforementioned "limiting part 503 is located at 0.07 to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502" means that the distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is between 0.07 and 1 times the radius height. The sealing ball 502 is engaged in the limiting part 503, and the limiting part 503 provides support for the sealing ball 502 to maintain its current position. Further explanation is needed on how this application determines the minimum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a to ensure that the sealing ball 502 can still adhere and seal the inner pot 1 at a certain tilt angle. Figure 4 As shown, as the inner pot 1 tilts, and as the tilt angle increases, within a certain tilt angle, the limiting part 503 can still provide upward support to the sealing ball 502, thereby keeping the sealing ball 502 in the position of the limiting part 503, thus ensuring the sealing fit between the sealing ball 502 and the sealing part. For example, the fit... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 for Figure 4In the enlarged view at point B, the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of 60°. At this time, the limiting part 503 still supports the sealing ball 502 upwards, so that the sealing ball 502 can still be located at the drain outlet 5011, thereby achieving a tight seal with the sealing part, and the liquid in the inner pot 1 cannot flow out from the drain outlet 5011. The first straight line 503a is rotated 60° in the tilting direction according to the support position of the sealing ball 502 supported by the support part 503 to obtain the third straight line 503b. Similarly, the second straight line 502a is rotated 60° in the tilting direction about the support position of the sealing ball 502 supported by the support part 503 to obtain the fourth straight line 502b. At this time, since the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is 60°, the angle between the straight line connecting the geometric center of the inner pot 1 and the center of its bottom wall and the height direction is 60°. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 To Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the equivalent circle of the sealing ball 502 shows that, based on geometric relationships, the distance between the third line 503b and the fourth line 502b is RR*cos60°, which is 0.5 times the radius of half the sealing ball 502. In other words, when the distance between the first line 503a and the second line 502a (or the third line 503b and the fourth line 502b) is 0.5 times R, when the inner pot 1 is tilted 60°, the limiting part 503 can still provide a vertically upward supporting force to the sealing ball 502, thus ensuring that the sealing ball 502 can still be supported and held at the drain outlet 5011. Therefore, in this application, when the distance between the first line 503a and the second line 502a is 0.5 times R, theoretically, when the inner pot 1 is tilted 60°, the sealing ball 502 can still fit and seal against the sealing part. At this time, when the inner pot 1 continues to... As the tilt angle increases towards the original tilt direction, the supporting force of the limiting part 503 on the sealing ball 502 is not directed towards the geometric center of the sealing ball 502. The sealing ball 502 begins to roll or has a tendency to roll in the tilt direction. The sealing ball 502 disengages from the drain outlet 5011, and the drain outlet 5011 is opened. Therefore, if the user knows that the drain valve assembly 5 will open after the inner pot 1 is tilted more than 60°, they can ensure that the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is less than or equal to 60°. Therefore, the current solution can ensure that the sealing ball does not fall off when the inner pot 1 is tilted at 60° by simply setting the position of the limiting part 503. Compared with the existing technology's spring-fixed steel ball solution, the setting solution of the limiting part 503 in this application has a simple structure, is easy to clean, and its service life is determined by the service life of the sealing ball 502 and the limiting part 503, resulting in a long service life.

[0041] Furthermore, the cooking cavity volume of this type of cooking appliance is usually determined by the volume of the inner pot 1. To ensure safety and normal use, manufacturers typically set a maximum water level line in the inner pot 1. This prevents excessive liquid from overflowing from the opening at the top of the inner pot 1 due to strong boiling during cooking, which could lead to safety accidents or disrupt the cooking process. Taking a conventionally shaped inner pot 1 as an example, the maximum water level line typically holds 60% of the inner pot 1's volume. This ensures that in most cooking situations, when the liquid in the inner pot 1 reaches the maximum water level line and boils, the liquid or bubbles will not overflow excessively, thus preventing safety accidents or affecting the cooking process. Based on the utility model principle of this application and the shape of most existing inner pots 1, it is found that for inner pots 1 with a volume of less than 10L, when the liquid is at the maximum water level line of the inner pot 1, the liquid at the maximum water level line can still be contained in the inner pot 1 when the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is less than 10°. When the tilt angle is greater than 10°, the liquid in inner pots 1 of different specifications and volumes will spill out to different degrees. Therefore, in order to ensure that the sealing ball 502 is still in contact with the sealing part and does not leak accidentally when the user does not need to pour out the liquid in the inner pot 1, it is necessary to ensure that the sealing ball 502 remains in contact with the sealing part when the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is less than 10°. This is because when the tilt angle is greater than 10°, it can be considered that the user has already tilted the inner pot 1 and poured out the liquid, that is, the user has already expected the liquid to flow out of the inner pot 1. Therefore, this application takes into account the actual situation of the user and the inner pot 1 and sets the position of the limiting part 503 to reduce the user's learning cost of the maximum tilt angle of the inner pot 1.

[0042] The above considerations are based on the utility model principle of the present application, assuming that the liquid in the inner pot 1 will not leak out accidentally when tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 10°. However, in actual products, the adhesion and sealing between the sealing ball 502 and the sealing part may be affected due to differences in the friction or wear of the surfaces of the limiting part 503, the sealing part, and the sealing ball 502. Therefore, to further ensure safety and meet user expectations, this application considers ensuring that the sealing ball 502 can still adhere and seal with the sealing part when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 20° as the most basic solution. This solution is more stable than the 10° tilt solution. Based on theoretical calculations, the minimum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is RR*cos20°, which is approximately 0.06 times R. Taking a certain safety margin, we set it to 0.07 times R, which ensures that the sealing ball 502 and the sealing part are in close contact and sealed when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 20°. More specifically, when the distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is greater than R, the limiting part 503 surrounds the sealing ball 502 above its radius. This results in the sealing ball 502 being blocked upwards by the limiting part 503 when it needs to be moved away from the drain outlet 5011, causing the sealing ball 502 to move unevenly or even be unable to move. Therefore, to ensure that the sealing ball 502 can be moved smoothly so that the drain valve assembly 5 can open normally, the maximum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is determined to be R. Theoretically, this ensures that the sealing ball 502 can still be blocked when the inner pot 1 is tilted at 90°. The upward support force provided by the limiting part 503 ensures that the sealing ball 502 remains in the drain outlet 5011, maintaining a tight seal with the sealing part. Furthermore, when the inner pot 1 continues to increase its tilt angle to greater than 90°, all liquid or objects in the inner pot 1 will drain out from the opening. At this point, the sealing ball 502 is no longer needed to block the drain outlet 5011, and therefore the limiting part 503 no longer needs to limit the sealing ball 502. Therefore, in the basic solution of this application, the limiting part 503 is located at 0.07 to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502 in the height direction, ensuring that the sealing ball 502 is tightly sealed with the sealing part when the inner pot 1 is tilted at a tilt angle of less than or equal to 20°. In this way, this application achieves a simple structure that allows the sealing ball 502 to remain tightly sealed with the sealing part in the required usage scenario, reducing the possibility of liquid accidentally flowing out of the drain valve assembly 5 from the inner pot 1. It is easy to clean, not easily damaged, has a long service life, and ensures the performance of the cooking appliance.

[0043] Furthermore, the limiting part 503 engages at 0.5 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502. Since 0.5 times the radius height is relatively regular, engagement at this position is easier to achieve, resulting in greater stability. Moreover, a 60° tilt of the inner pot 1 can accommodate most users' accidental tilting or wobbling, making it adaptable to a wide range of scenarios. Therefore, the distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is limited to 0.5 times R to 1 times R, ensuring that the sealing ball 502 adheres and seals the sealing part when the inner pot 1 is tilted at a angle less than or equal to 60°. This adapts to most tilting scenarios, making it widely applicable. Because it ensures that the sealing ball 502 does not fall off even at larger tilt angles, the user experience is improved.

[0044] Based on the above-described basic solution, the following further improves or enhances the basic solution according to different embodiments.

[0045] Example 1:

[0046] Under the basic scheme, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 7 As shown, a first sealing ring 504 is provided in the valve cavity 501. The limiting part 503 and the sealing part are both provided on the first sealing ring 504. The sealing part is composed of a sealing lip 5041 below the limiting part 503. When the sealing ball 502 is located at the drain port 5011, the lower end of the sealing ball 502 fits and seals with the sealing lip 5041. The sealing ball 502 blocks the drain port 5011, thereby achieving the valve closing of the drain valve assembly 5, and the sealing effect is good. Specifically, the limiting part 503 is located above the sealing part, that is, above the sealing lip 5041. In this way, the limiting part 503 and the sealing lip 5041 each perform their respective functions. The lip-shaped structure of the sealing lip 5041 expands radially under fluid pressure, forming a self-reinforcing effect of "the higher the pressure, the tighter the seal," resulting in a good sealing effect. The limiting part 503 supports the sealing ball 502 to ensure its position. Furthermore, this application achieves a seal between the sealing ball 502 and the sealing lip 5041 even when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 20° by supporting the sealing ball 502 at its supported position. This prevents the drain valve assembly 5 from opening the valve without the user's knowledge that the liquid in the inner pot 1 will leak out. In other embodiments, the sealing part can also adopt other structural forms besides the sealing lip 5041, as long as it can fit with the sealing ball 502 to form a seal and is located below the limiting part 503.

[0047] Understandably, while existing technologies disclose solutions for sealing liquid outlets by using a seal and a ball valve, they do not utilize this combination to ensure the seal remains in place or that friction keeps the ball valve sealed at the liquid outlet when the container is tilted. This application innovatively utilizes a limiting part 503 and a sealing part formed by a first sealing ring 504. By using the limiting part 503 to support the sealing ball 502 at the drain outlet 5011, the sealing ball 502 is prevented from detaching from the drain outlet 5011 when the inner pot 1 is tilted at a set angle. This solution is simple and easy to clean. It effectively solves the problem of the drain outlet 5011 being accidentally opened when the user removes the inner pot 1 and pours out the liquid without anticipation, using the existing drain valve assembly 5 structure. Existing technologies have not considered improving upon existing drain valve solutions, but instead simply use springs to fix the ball valve. However, spring solutions are complex, costly, and difficult to clean. The improvement proposed in this application is unexpected and has unforeseen positive effects.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] Under the basic scheme, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, a second sealing ring 505 is provided in the valve cavity 501. The inner surface of the second sealing ring 505 is provided with a sealing surface 5051 that is adapted to the sealing ball 502. The sealing surface 5051 constitutes a limiting part 503 and a sealing part. Thus, the two functions of limiting the sealing ball 502 and sealing are realized through a single sealing surface 5051. The structure is simpler, and it is also more convenient to replace the second sealing ring 505 if it is worn or damaged. It is understood that the parts of the sealing surface 5051 that contact the sealing ball 502 are all sealing parts. The sealing surface 5051 and the sealing ball 502 fit together to form a seal on the drain outlet 5011. The upper end of the sealing surface 5051 that contacts the sealing ball 502 forms a limiting part 503. Since the limiting part 503 is located at the upper end of the sealing surface 5051, its main function is to provide resistance or support to the sealing ball 502 when it rolls or tends to roll, thereby limiting the sealing ball 502 to a certain extent at the drain outlet 5011, so that the sealing ball 502 fits and seals with the sealing surface 5051. That is, when the sealing part and the limiting part 503 are made into one piece, the basic solution of this application is also realized.

[0050] Example 3:

[0051] In this embodiment, to more reasonably set the distance range between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a, the limiting part 503 is located at 0.5 to 0.9 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502 in the height direction. This can meet most tilt scenarios of the inner pot 1 while ensuring the normal use of the sealing ball 502. As for setting the minimum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a to 0.5 times R, as mentioned above, the principle of this application is that when the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is 60°, the limiting part 503 is located at 0.5 times the radius height of the sealing ball, which allows the limiting part 503 to still provide support force to the sealing ball 502 through its geometric center. This allows the sealing ball 502 to remain in close contact with the sealing part at the drain outlet 5011, so that the liquid in the inner pot 1 will not flow out from the drain outlet 5011. The limiting part 503 engages at 0.5 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502. Since 0.5 times the radius height is relatively regular, engagement at this position is easier to achieve, resulting in greater stability. Furthermore, the 60° tilt of the inner pot 1 can accommodate the tilt angle of most users who accidentally tilt or shake the inner pot 1, making it suitable for a wide range of scenarios. Regarding the maximum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a, as mentioned above, when the limiting part 503 is located at 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502, that is, when the limiting part 503 engages at the middle position of the sealing ball 502, theoretically, when the tilt angle of the inner pot 1 is 90°, that is, when the opening of the inner pot 1 is placed in the horizontal direction, the limiting part 503, the sealing part, and other parts may have friction with the sealing ball 502. Since the limiting part 503 is precisely engaged at the middle position of the sealing ball 502, After the inner pot 1 tilts once or several times, the sealing ball 502 may get stuck in the limiting part 503, preventing the sealing ball 502 from being moved smoothly by the driving device of the cooking appliance during subsequent cooking, and causing the drain valve assembly 5 to fail to open. In order to ensure that the tilt of the inner pot 1 does not affect the normal use thereafter, this application further limits the maximum distance between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a to 0.9 times R, thereby avoiding the sealing ball 502 getting stuck. Thus, the distance range between the first straight line 503a and the second straight line 502a is limited to 0.5 times R to 0.9 times R, so that the sealing ball 502 fits and seals with the sealing part when the inner pot 1 is tilted at a tilt of less than or equal to 60°, and can adapt to most tilt scenarios and prevent the sealing ball 502 from getting stuck in the limiting part 503.

[0052] Example 4:

[0053] Based on the basic scheme, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 3As shown, a transition portion 5031 connects the limiting portion 502 and the inner wall of the valve cavity 501. When the sealing ball 502 is not blocking the drain outlet 5011, the sealing ball 502 rests against the transition portion 5031. It can be understood that when the sealing ball 502 is driven by the driving device of the cooking appliance to the state where the drain outlet 5011 is not blocked, in this embodiment, the sealing ball 502 moves toward the outer periphery of the drain outlet 5011. Specifically, the sealing ball 502 can be guided to a position away from the drain outlet 5011 by the magnetic driving device through attraction or repulsion. In this embodiment, the sealing ball 502 rests against the transition portion 5031 when the valve is open. Since the transition portion 5031 is located between the inner wall of the valve cavity 501 and the limiting portion 503, it can be ensured that the sealing ball 503 can move directly toward the inner wall to the transition portion 5031 after being driven, and the movement is smooth. Furthermore, the transition portion 5031 is inclined. This inclined transition portion 5031 not only allows the sealing ball 503 to move smoothly onto it, but also helps the sealing ball 502 to quickly reset and re-seal the drain outlet 5011 when the drain valve assembly 5 changes from the open to the closed state. Preferably, the position of the limiting portion 503 relative to the sealing ball 503 theoretically ensures that the inner pot 1 is tilted by X° while still being supported at the drain outlet 5011. The calculation of X° refers to the explanation in the basic scheme; the inclination angle of the transition portion 5031 is greater than X°. Therefore, when the inner pot 1 returns to an upright state after tilting at a certain angle, the reset speed of the sealing ball 502 is faster because the inclination angle of the transition portion 5031 is greater than X°. This reduces the possibility of residual liquid in the inner pot 1 flowing out of the drain outlet 5011 before the sealing ball 502 has returned to seal the drain outlet 5011, reducing adverse situations caused by the tilting of the inner pot 1 and improving the user experience.

[0054] Example 5:

[0055] Based on the basic scheme, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the drain valve assembly 5 includes a valve assembly 506 and a downwardly extending metal channel 507. The downwardly extending metal channel 507 provides installation space for the valve assembly 506, allowing the valve assembly 506 to be installed more effectively. The valve assembly 506 includes a filter screen cover 5061, which covers the valve cavity 501. Below the filter screen cover 5061, there is a limiting bracket 5062 for a limiting sealing ball 502. The sealing ball 502 blocks the drain outlet 5011, thereby forming a seal at the drain outlet 5011. When the sealing ball 502 is driven by the driving device to switch to a state away from the drain outlet 5011, the drain outlet 5011 is opened, and the liquid in the inner pot 1 can flow out of the inner pot 1 from the drain outlet 5011.

[0056] More specifically, the lower end of the limiting bracket 5062 has a first bottom hole 50621, and the lower end of the metal channel 507 has a second bottom hole 5071. Since the valve assembly 506 is detachably fixed in the metal channel 507, the first bottom hole 50621 and the second bottom hole 5071 are connected. The drain outlet 5011 can be formed in either the first bottom hole 50621 or the second bottom hole 5071. It can be understood that since the limiting bracket 5062 is used to limit the sealing ball 502, the sealing body 502 can be driven simultaneously when the limiting bracket 5062 is removed. Therefore, when the lateral dimension of the first bottom hole 50621 is smaller than the lateral dimension of the sealing body 502, the sealing body 50621 can be supported on the first bottom hole 50621, but will not detach downward from the limiting bracket 5062 through the first bottom hole 50621. When the sealing ball 502 has a portion that passes through the first bottom hole 50621 and blocks the second bottom hole 5071, the second bottom hole 5071 serves as the drain outlet 5011 of the drain valve assembly 5, and the valve cavity 501 is formed within the metal channel 507. When the sealing ball 502 only blocks the first bottom hole 50621, the first bottom hole 50621 serves as the drain outlet 5011, and the valve cavity 501 is formed within the limiting frame 5062. This utility model controls the drainage process by controlling whether the sealing ball 502 blocks the drain outlet 5011. Therefore, when the sealing ball 502 blocks both the first bottom hole 50621 and the second bottom hole 5071, the bottom hole structure at the lowest end serves as the drain outlet 5011. Thus, the drain outlet 5011 of this utility model has been clearly defined. Controlling whether the drain valve assembly 5 drains by whether the sealing ball 502 blocks openings at other locations should also be within the scope of this utility model.

[0057] In this way, the valve assembly 506 can be removed from the metal channel 507, and the sealing ball 502 of the valve assembly 506 is limited by the limiting bracket 5062. When the limiting bracket 5062 is removed, the sealing ball 502 can also be taken out. Therefore, it is convenient for users to remove the valve assembly 506 and clean it. This can ensure the cleanliness of the drain valve assembly 5, reduce the impact of food residue and other residues on the sealing effect of the sealing ball 502 on the drain outlet, ensure the stable implementation of the drainage function and the hygiene of the cooking appliance, and greatly improve the user's experience of this type of cooking appliance with automatic drainage. Meanwhile, since the valve assembly 506 is detachably fixed within the metal channel 507 from inside the inner pot 1, the valve assembly 506 needs to be removed from inside the inner pot 1. That is, the valve assembly 506 needs to be placed from top to bottom at the bottom of the inner pot 1 and supported by the inner pot 1 and / or the metal channel 507. The valve assembly 506 cannot be removed from the outer bottom of the inner pot 1, thus ensuring that the valve assembly 506 cannot fall out from the outer bottom of the inner pot 1 and is not easily lost. Furthermore, because the valve assembly 506 is placed within the metal channel 507, the metal channel 507 can, to some extent, protect the valve assembly 506 and ensure that it is stably placed at the bottom of the inner pot 1, preventing it from shaking and ensuring its service life and functionality, further guaranteeing the working life of the cooking appliance.

[0058] In some examples, such as Figure 7 As shown, the filter cover 5061 and the limiting bracket 5062 are detachably connected. This detachable connection can be achieved through threaded or snap-fit ​​connections. This allows the limiting bracket 5062 and the sealing ball 502 within it to be removed simultaneously by removing the filter cover 5061, enabling the valve assembly 506 to be removed as a single unit. This increases user convenience and makes cleaning the valve assembly 506 easier. The filter cover 5061 is also connected to a metal cable 5063, the lower end of which is connected to the sealing ball 5062. The valve assembly 506 is connected at point 02. In this way, when the user removes the valve assembly 506 and disassembles the filter cover 5061 and the limiting bracket 5062 for cleaning, the filter cover 5061 moves the sealing ball 502 together via the metal cable 5063. This prevents the sealing ball 502 from falling off or being lost due to its small size and tendency to roll, ensuring the normal use of the valve assembly 506. The metal properties of the cable 5063 ensure its structural strength, making it less prone to breakage and preventing food contamination, while also being easy to clean. In other embodiments, the limiting member 5062 and the filter cover 5061 can also be integrally manufactured, separate structures, or other structures, depending on actual needs, and are not limited here.

[0059] In other examples, the filter cover 3061 is flush with or lower than the bottom of the inner pot 1 in the height direction. This makes the inner bottom surface of the inner pot 1 flatter, making it less likely for the user to touch the valve assembly 506 when handling food inside the inner pot 1. For example, when the inner pot 1 contains rice, the user will not disturb the valve assembly 506 when scooping rice with a rice scoop. Or, when the user puts ingredients into the inner pot 1, it will not affect the position of the valve assembly 506. This further ensures the position of the sealing ball 502, ensuring that the limiting part 503 engages with the preset position of the sealing ball 502, and ensuring that the sealing ball 502 and the sealing part are in close contact and sealed when the inner pot 1 is tilted at an angle less than or equal to a specified angle.

[0060] In other examples, such as Figure 2 As shown, the bottom of the inner pot 1 has a mating hole 101, and a metal channel 507 is provided on the mounting part 6. The mounting part 6 is fixedly connected to the position of the mating hole 101. The mounting part 6 can be a metal part or a metal assembly. The metal assembly can be a component with other mating parts. It can be understood that as long as the main body of the mounting part 6 or the metal channel 507 on it is located on the outer periphery of the mating hole 101 or inside the mating hole 101, it is considered that the mounting part 6 is connected to the position of the mating hole 101. The advantage of the mounting part is that the formation of the metal channel 507 does not depend on the size parameters of the inner pot 1 itself. The size parameters and shape of the mounting part 6 can be controlled according to the actual design needs, so that the structure of the drain valve assembly 5 is more reasonable and the performance is more stable.

[0061] Example 6:

[0062] In the basic scheme, in this embodiment, the limiting part 503 can be formed on the inner wall of the valve cavity 501 or other accessories installed in the valve cavity 501, as long as the limiting part 503 is arranged around the outer surface of the sealing ball 502 and located at 0.07 times the radius height to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball 502. In this way, the sealing part can adopt a silicone sealing ring or other sealing structure, as long as the sealing ball 502 can fit and seal. The limiting part 503 and the sealing part are formed by different components, and the function is stable.

[0063] Example 7:

[0064] In this embodiment, the limiting part 503 is continuously arranged around the outer surface of the sealing ball 502. This provides stable support for the sealing ball 502, ensuring that it is not easily dislodged from the drain outlet 5011 within a preset tilt angle of the inner pot 1. Furthermore, the continuous limiting part 503 continuously adheres to the outer surface of the sealing ball 502, forming a double seal with the sealing part, thus improving the sealing effect of the sealing ball 502 on the drain outlet 5011. In other embodiments, the limiting part 503 may not be continuously arranged, allowing liquid to flow more smoothly from the limiting part 503 into the drain outlet 5011 after the drain valve assembly 5 is opened, resulting in smoother drainage.

[0065] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0066] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0067] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic water inlet and outlet cooking appliance, comprising an inner pot, a pot body, a water tank, and a lid, wherein the water tank supplies cooking water to the inner pot through a water inlet channel, and a drain valve assembly is provided in the middle of the bottom wall of the inner pot, characterized in that, The drain valve assembly includes a valve cavity and a movable sealing ball located within the valve cavity. The valve cavity is provided with a limiting part and a sealing part, which are either integrally formed or separately formed. The bottom of the valve cavity is provided with a drain outlet. The sealing part cooperates with the sealing ball to block the drain outlet. The limiting part is arranged around the outer surface of the sealing ball. In the height direction, the limiting part is located at 0.5 to 1 times the radius height of the sealing ball, so that the sealing ball and the sealing part fit and seal when the inner pot is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 60°.

2. The cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve cavity is provided with a first sealing ring, and the limiting part and the sealing part are both disposed on the first sealing ring, with the limiting part located above the sealing part.

3. The cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve cavity is provided with a second sealing ring, and the inner surface of the second sealing ring is provided with a sealing surface that is adapted to the sealing ball. The sealing surface constitutes the limiting part and the sealing part.

4. The cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the height direction, the limiting part is located at 0.5 to 0.9 times the radius height of the sealing ball, so that the sealing ball and the sealing part fit and seal when the inner pot is tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 60°.

5. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A transition section is connected between the limiting part and the inner wall of the valve cavity. When the sealing ball is not blocking the drain outlet, the sealing ball rests against the transition section.

6. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The transition section is inclined.

7. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drain valve assembly further includes a valve assembly and a downwardly extending metal channel. The valve assembly is detachably fixed within the metal channel from the inner pot. A filter screen cover is also provided above the valve cavity. A limiting bracket for limiting the sealing ball is provided below the filter screen cover. A first bottom hole is provided at the lower end of the limiting bracket. A second bottom hole is provided at the lower end of the metal channel. The first bottom hole and the second bottom hole are connected. The drain outlet is formed in the first bottom hole and the valve cavity is formed within the limiting bracket, or the drain outlet is formed in the second bottom hole and the valve cavity is formed within the metal channel.

8. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The filter cover is detachably connected to the limiting frame, and the filter cover is also connected to a metal cable, the lower end of which is connected to the sealing ball.

9. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the filter cover is flush with or below the bottom of the inner pot.

10. A cooking appliance with automatic water inlet and outlet as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the inner pot is provided with a mating hole, the metal channel is provided on the mounting component, and the mounting component is fixedly connected to the position of the mating hole.

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